


Love, in Fire and Blood

by SorchaCahill



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, F/M, Light Bondage, Love Confessions, Sexual Content, So much smut, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, for which I regret nothing, oh and puns, very little plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 19:53:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12306543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorchaCahill/pseuds/SorchaCahill
Summary: The poem Leia quotes is calledI do not love you except because I love youby Pablo Neruda. Considering the nature of Ryder and Reyes' relationship, I think it fits them perfectly.Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.





	Love, in Fire and Blood

The Nomad rumbled and jerked as Leia narrowly avoided an outcropping of rock. She was annoyed, bordering on pissed off. Sloane Kelly was expecting her to drop everything and do her bidding. Like she didn’t have a million other things on her plate,  _ including _ the minor detail of trying to make Kadara more viable. The vault was online sure but that didn’t mean that they were in the home stretch by any means. The outlaw situation needed to be settled somehow before they could build an outpost here. Leia, Vetra, and Drack had just cleared out a camp of outlaws when Sloane called. Leia had been sorely tempted to ignore the woman but there had been something in Sloane’s voice that nagged her, nagged her enough that she had gone back to Kadara Port to hear the woman out.

By the end of their conversation Leia was tempted to pull a gun on the woman again but she had agreed to go to the meet with the Charlatan. If there was a chance that some kind of deal could be brokered to bring some semblance of peace that would allow her to be able to place an Initiative outpost on the planet. An outpost they desperately needed if they were to survive.

“You know that this isn’t going to end well, right Kid?”

“I am aware, Drack but I’m limited on options. I’m trying to make the best of a bad situation. If I have to make a deal with the devil to get an outpost here, well, I’m willing to consider it.”

“There’s always the Charlatan. We could make a deal with them,” said Vetra.

“You can’t trust a shadow, Vetra. Sloane may be a bloodthirsty tyrant and a traitor but she’s a known quantity. The other guy-.”

“Look guys, it’s pointless arguing about this until we know the situation. We’re almost there.”

Leia brought the Nomad to a stop a mere ten meters away from where Sloane stood at the entrance to the cave. The woman’s face twisted into a sneer as Leia and her squad exited the Nomad. 

“You sure took your sweet time. Are you ready, Princess or do you need to go get your tiara?”

Leia stiffened. Behind her both Drack and Vetra groaned. Sloane had just said the wrong thing.

“I’m not your lapdog, Sloane.”

“And yet here you are. Let’s get this done.”

~~~

“You lied to me. Why?”

Leia tried to keep the hurt out of her voice but failed miserably. In the past she had always managed to keep her emotions under tap but what Reyes had done, she couldn’t get a hold of herself. She had known he lied to her about things, that he hid much of himself from her and she had accepted that, but never could she have believed that he was capable of this kind of deceit.

“I… I liked the way you looked at me and I didn’t want that to change if you found out the truth.” Regret painted his face. Regret for hurting her, she knew, but not for what he had done.

“Don’t you think it was more a matter of when, not if? I was bound to find out.”

“Perhaps so,” he sighed, pushing a hand through his hair. “I foolishly wanted to shield you from this part of my life. It’s not pretty, what I do.”

“And what I do is? Every person I kill, whether it’s human, krogan, asari, turian, salarian, with every single one I diminish our chances of survival here in Heleus.”

“You  _ help _ people Leia; more than you hurt. You are a force for good, a symbol people can look up to. I can never be that person. I didn’t set out to be the Charlatan, but when I saw what Sloane was doing and where her course of action was going to lead us if she was allowed to proceed… I just couldn’t idly sit by and do nothing.”

“So your answer was to create a shady organization to undermine her.”

“You saw what she was like, what she allowed to happen, what she encouraged to happen. Those who opposed her openly ended violently and painfully. You only know of a fraction of what she did. If Kadara was to be free, this was the only way.” Temper threaded through his voice as he spoke, fire lighting his whiskey colored eyes. “How would you have handled it?”

Leia looked away, unsure of her answer. He was right. She did only know a fraction of what Sloane did and she hadn’t had to live under her thumb for the last year. Perhaps it had been out of desperation, what Reyes did, but it still didn’t excuse him lying to her.

“I don’t know,” she said carefully. “But I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have lied about it to someone I cared about.”

Reyes stepped forward, lifting a hand to touch her face. Leia stepped back, not willing to let him touch her. Her dad had always said that trust had to be earned and that once it was broken, it was damned hard to gain it again. He was not wrong but she was pretty sure he had never been faced with a situation like this. She didn’t want to end things with Reyes but she didn’t know if she could trust him. Not anymore.

“I also didn’t want you to get hurt because of me. If someone found out, they could use you to get to me. There are terrible people who would be willing to do the unthinkable and I wasn’t willing to take that chance,” he paused. “I didn’t want anything to happen to you because of what I am.”

“But something did happen, Reyes. Did it ever occur to you that you might have lost here today? I saw the sniper, he wasn’t as well hidden as he should have been. I could have stopped it all and saved Sloane.”

“But you didn’t.” He stepped forward again, lifting a hand to her cheek. His thumb brushed over it, wiping away tears she hadn’t realized she had shed.

“No, I didn’t, because you’re right. Sloane  _ would _ have brought war to Heleus and that would have been the end to it. I’ve sacrificed too much to save this cluster to let that happen.”

She pulled back again, stepping away, wrapping her arms around her waist. They stood on an outlook of the cave system. Kadara spilled out before them. It was beautiful in it’s own way, a deadly beauty even with the vault now working, one she had fought to save. Was still fighting for it because without a port here for the Initiative, they were lost. 

“So, where do we go from here?” There was a tremor in his voice that she had never heard before, an uncertainty and if she didn’t know better, vulnerability. 

Leia turned around and searched his face. She cared for this man, more than she should and definitely more than she wanted to admit aloud. Could they move past this?

“It was selfish what you did, Reyes. You wanted both worlds and life doesn’t work that way. If you want to continue this, if you want to move on, no more lies.”

Reyes hesitated before nodding slowly. A mixture of hope and sadness filled his face. He looked like a man resigned to do whatever she wanted, but wasn’t completely happy with it.

“At least not about the big stuff. You are who you are and there will always be some lies and secrets, I’m not stupid, I know that, but the big stuff Reyes? That can’t happen again. If you want this, want me, that’s the deal.”

Reyes stepped forward, cupping her face with both hands. He kissed her slowly, lingering on her lips while brushing his thumbs over her cheeks. Breaking the kiss he rested his forehead against hers, exhaling slowly.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For accepting who I am. I know I’m a greedy man, Leia, and not always a good one, but for you, for you I will try to be the man you deserve.”

“Don’t you think I’m the one who should decide what I deserve.”

Reyes chuckled softly. “You have horrible taste in men.”

“The worst.”

He kissed her again, more forcefully this time, like he was afraid she would change her mind. His tongue traced her bottom lip, begging entrance. Leia opened for him as she clutched at his chest. Reyes dug his hands into her hair, tugging her head back so that he could kiss down her neck, at least until he reached her armor. A soft growl rumbled in his throat as he reached for the releases on her chestplate. Leia pulled back and placed her hands on his chest in an attempt to stop those nimble fingers before he could go much farther. She nipped on his lower lip, tugging on it before she pulled back.

“I have to go,” she said, her voice thick with desire. “I can’t keep Drack and Vetra waiting while we do this. I’m already going to get an earful as it is.”

“Stay. Please. Just for a bit longer,” he said as he bent down, running his tongue up her neck before tugging on her ear with his teeth. She felt his hands tighten on her waist, pulling her tighter against him, like he was afraid she’d disappear forever if he let her go. Leia heard the telltale hiss of the buckles to her chestpiece and arms coming undone and felt her body lighten as the armor was removed, clanking to the ground around them. Reyes’ hands spanned around her waist and pulled her flush against him before kissing her again, this time more forcefully. Leia whimpered slightly when he pushed her up against the wall of the cave, pressing his body against hers. When he hitched her leg up around his waist she realized he had completely stripped her down to her underarmor and she hadn’t realized it.

Leia grappled at his armor as he sucked hard at the juncture where her neck and shoulder met. She felt his hand unzip her underarmor and slide in and palm her breast. Leia arched into his touch, feeling her skin tingle everywhere. This part of their relationship had always been easy, even when she wished it wasn’t. Mixing hormones and emotions wasn’t a good idea in her book. Usually.

Reyes had a way of overcoming that.

He suddenly knelt down before her, slinging her leg over his shoulder. Leia cried out when he kissed her center, flicking his tongue over and around her clit. She dug her hands into his hair, her nails scraping his scalp as she pressed him closer. His hand slid up the inside of her leg before inserting two fingers inside her, slowly pumping and twisting them in and out.

Leia tried to balance herself with just one leg on the ground and her back pressed up against the cave wall, but her muscles were quivering under Reyes’ ministrations and she didn’t know how much longer she would be able to stand. Reyes sucked hard on her clit, causing her to cry out again, louder this time as every muscle and fiber in her being exploded as her orgasm burst around her.

Reyes kissed the inside of her thigh as he removed his fingers and let her leg drop from his shoulder. Standing up, he kissed her again, his lips covered with the leftovers of her orgasm. Leia clung to him as her orgasm passed through her and faded. Her breath was coming out in streams and her heart was pounding against her chest, both slowly returning to normal as she regained conscious thought.

“Here, let me help you get dressed. I’m sure that your companions will be wondering where you are.”

Confusion caused her brows to furrow. That was it? He didn’t want more? Reyes Vidal was not a man to deny his appetites.

They were quiet as Reyes helped her put her armor on. Leia wasn’t sure what to say. She truly felt out of her element. Why did it feel like he just said goodbye?

Reyes tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, kissing her briefly before pulling back. There was something in his expression that she couldn’t quite place and it scared her.

“I have to take care of a few things, as do you. Meet me back at Tartarus when you can? We have much to discuss.”

Leia smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes, but didn’t say anything in response. She wasn’t sure what was going on. Their relationship hadn’t exactly followed the normal course of things, but then nothing had since she had woken up in Andromeda. 

~~~

TO: Reyes Vidal

FROM: Leia Ryder

RE: ...

Reyes,

Something came up. Have a lead on one of the arks that’s time sensitive. Our talk will have to wait. I’ll ping you when I can make it back.

I’m sorry. 

~Leia

~~~

It was over a week later and way past sundown, edging close to midnight by the time she stepped off the lift into the slums underneath Kadara Port. She had come down here without any of her crew and without her armor. It was a risk, a dangerous one, but she still took it, taking solace with the solid weight of her pistol on her hip. Word of Sloane’s death had spread quickly and the people of Kadara were still celebrating their victory. Not all were happy though; she received more than one baleful glare on her way down here and knew that she would need to watch her back even more than before. 

The music from Tartarus was pounding as loud as ever. She could feel it reverberate in her chest as she entered. The place was crowded. The celebration was even more intense inside. Members of the Collective and those who had suffered under Sloane reign danced and drank like it was their last night to live. Kian was going to run out of alcohol at this rate. 

As she weaved through the crowd she tried to make herself as unnoticeable as possible. If she thought that she could get away with it she would have cloaked before stepping foot into the bar, but she decided it was probably better to walk as quietly as she could rather than risk someone bumping into her cloaked form and starting a bar brawl. She wasn’t quite up for another one after the one in Kralla’s Song and she was alone this time.

Soon enough she made it to Reyes’ door. At least she assumed it was still his. Now that he, or more accurately, The Charlatan was King of Kadara Port that would mean better living situation. One that didn’t involve rooms above a bar.

“Privacy mode, SAM.”

“Yes, Pathfinder. Shall I inform the Tempest that you won’t be returning tonight?”

Leia hesitated. She wasn’t really sure how this was all going to play out. She was on unfamiliar terrain here. Fuck she was bad at relationships.

“Not just yet SAM. Let me play this out. I’ll ping you when I know.”

“Of course, Pathfinder.”

Leia was just about to knock when the door slid open. Reyes stood in front of her, his hair uncharacteristically disheveled, what looked like three days worth of beard growth and the smell of bad whiskey pouring off of him. He stared at her as if he had trouble believing what he was seeing, that uncertainty on his face again though he tried to disguise it. After several seconds of silence he finally spoke.

“I didn’t think that you were coming back.”

“I said I was. It just took longer than I thought it would. I have responsibilities that I can’t just shrug off,” she said, refusing to apologize for her alleged tardiness. She had told him that she would try to come as soon as she could but Andromeda had a funny way of getting in the way of any plans she made. When he continued to just stand there Leia’s temper began to spike. “Are you going to let me in? Because it feels like we’re about to have a fight and I’d rather that all of Tartarus wasn’t witness to it.”

Reyes finally stepped aside, letting her pass. Leia’s eyes flicked to the table, spying a half empty whiskey bottle and a glass sitting on it. Pursing her lips she wondered just how full that bottle had been when he started. She was the last to call anyone out on having a couple of drinks but she had pinged him after dealing with Ativus and the turian ark, so part of her had expected him to be at least somewhat sober when she got here. Though it was possible he hadn’t seen the message seeing as she hadn’t received a response from him when she had emailed him. Possible but unlikely. Reyes wasn’t a man to let details slide. Which begged the question as to why he hadn’t acknowledged her message.

“Having a private celebration of your victory I see. Would have thought that you’d be up in the so-called throne room taking your place as King of Kadara.” There was some bitterness in her voice that she couldn’t help that was a direct result of the thoughts boiling in her head. 

“I’m not one for the spotlight.”

“Then what was the point of being the Charlatan and running the Collective if not to run Kadara Port?”

“Oh, I’ll still be running it. Keema, the angaran you met at Sloane’s party, she’s agreed to be my frontman, or woman as it were. It seems better that an angaran be in charge of Kadara again.”

“Even if it’s a lie?”

Reyes didn’t have an answer for that. He ran a hand through his hair and began to pace. His glance slid over to the whiskey bottle briefly before he shook his head slightly.

“It’s not, not really. Keema and I are of one mind in regards to what we want for Kadara. This place has so much potential, for both the angara and for the Initiative. I know how much you need the outpost.”

“It’s not as easy as that, and you know it. Tann’s already on my ass and-.”

“And you’re the Pathfinder,” he interrupted. “If I remember the brochures correctly, it is the Pathfinders who are in charge of settling outposts, not some weasley bureaucrat. If you want an outpost here Leia, all you have to do is ask.”

Leia crossed her arms. “And just what is the outpost going to cost me?” There was that bitter tone again. She couldn’t seem to help herself. 

“What it brings in trade will be more than enough. There’s no catch here Leia, I promise,” he paused. “I know I went about this the wrong way with you. I was selfish but I don’t want to lose you. You have become important to me.”

Leia raised an eyebrow. “Important. That could mean many different things.”

“Important in the way that I don’t know what to do with myself half the time. Important in how you’re about the last thing I think about when I go to bed and the first when I wake up. Important in that I would do whatever I can to keep you safe even though you go running headfirst into danger without blinking. So I picked my battles. I made a conscious choice to keep you separated as much as possible from the Charlatan. Perhaps I made the wrong choice but at the time I felt it was the right one.” Reyes stopped pacing and stood before her. “I am sorry that I hurt you. It’s the last thing I ever want to do.”

“Then keep your promise and don’t hide the big stuff from me.”

“You have my word.”

“Okay then.” Leia uncrossed her arms, surprised at the tightness in her muscles. It hadn’t really registered with her just how rigid her posture had been since she entered his flat until just now. Crossing to the table, she snatched up the glass and drained it of its contents. It burned ugly down her throat, tasting more like eezo discharge than whiskey. Coughing, she slammed the glass down back on the table, desperately wishing for something to rinse the rotten taste out of her mouth.

“Sadly, the Mount Milgram is all gone.”

“Jesus, why don’t you just bottle up the water from the Sulphur Springs? It would probably taste just as good and burn less.”

“I wasn’t exactly drinking it for the taste.”

“So it would seem.” Not knowing what else to do, Leia sat on the couch, unholstering her pistol and setting it on the table. Her clothes felt like they were weighing her down. Hell, the whole galaxy felt like it was weighing her down. She leaned forward, putting her head in her hands and sighed heavily. It felt like she was being buried alive by the weight of the responsibility her father had placed on her, that all of the species of the Milky Way had placed on her. 

“Leia?” Reyes’ voice was hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure what to say. That was a first in her experience. Since the first moment she had met him Reyes Vidal always had a clever answer on his tongue.

Without lifting her head she said, “I’m fine, just tired. Do you know what I would give for at least one of the other Pathfinders to be able to help?”

“You’re doing the best you can with what you’ve been given. That’s more than many of the people from the Milky Way can say.”

Leia wasn’t so sure. She’d been hesitant to accept the job to begin with and if she’d been able to hand it to over to Cora like it was supposed to she would have but SAM was basically melded to her now. Yet again choice had been taken away from her. With one decision her father had both saved her life and doomed it at the same time.

“You could use some normalcy I think, and I haven’t exactly given that to you.”

“What are you talking about?” Leia raised her head and stared at him. He fiddled with his omni-tool, his fingers dancing over the screen. She narrowed her eyes, suspicion rising within her. “You’re up to something.”

“We haven’t exactly gone about things in the so-called normal order. I neglected you on our first date, I’d like to remedy that.” As he finished talking, bluesy music filled the room. Leia didn’t recognize it but thought it came from the early twentieth century on Earth. He extended his hand out to her, waiting.

“I don’t really-.”

Reyes snatched up her hand, pulling her to her feet. Leia stumbled a bit before falling into his arms. He chuckled as he steadied her. “Relax. It’s not the waltz.”

Leia placed her hand on his shoulder and let him lead. A wise choice seeing as her coordination as far as dancing went was abysmal. Luke was the dancer, couldn’t get enough of it. Her gut clenched at the thought that he might never have a chance to dance again. Despite what both Harry and SAM told her she feared that he would never wake up, essentially leaving her alone in Heleus.

“What’s wrong? The song not to your liking?”

“What? No, the song’s fine. I just… there’s a lot on my mind.”

“Despite what the Angara call me, I can use my ears just as well as my mouth.”

Leia was tempted but she held back. With the exception of Lexi, Harry, and SAM she didn’t talk to people about Luke, and even with them it was difficult. 

“It’s nothing worth talking about.”

“Now, why don’t I believe you?”

“Okay, it’s nothing worth talking about right now.”

“Leia-.”

“Please, Reyes, not now.”

“Alright then, but I hope that one day you will tell me. I’d like to be there for you. However I can.”

“Just shut up and dance.”

“As you wish.”

The song played out and bled into the next, this one with a stronger beat. Reyes pulled her closer, his lips close enough to her ear that she could feel his hot breath against her skin. Despite herself, despite everything, her skin tingled where it touched and her breath caught in her throat. Her mind flashed back to their last moments in that cave when Reyes had, for want of a better word, ravished her until she could barely stand but stopped after she came. Even a week later she couldn’t understand why he had stopped.

She heard him inhale deeply, as if he was taking in her scent and trying to memorize it. Leia pulled back slightly, wanting to see his face, to try to read what he was thinking, because she honestly had no fucking clue as to what was going on in his brain.

“Like what you see?”

“More like trying to figure out what I’m seeing. You confuse me.”

“I promised that I will be as honest with you as I can and I meant it.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s… nevermind.”

“Leia. What is it?”

Her brows furrowed as she tried to sort out what she wanted to say. Why was this so damned difficult?

“I guess that I wasn’t expecting this, especially with how we parted last time.”

“What do you mean?” Despite the question, Reyes’ voice was carefully neutral. Leia felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment. Was he really going to make her spell it out for him?

“I guess it felt like a goodbye. You do sort of have a reputation of love them and leave them. Or so I’ve heard.” She let her eyes drift off his face, focusing on a spot on the far wall. Perhaps if she wasn’t looking him in the eye she’d be able to get the words out.

“Is that what you think?” When she didn’t answer right away, he brought them to a halt and grabbed her by the arms. Startled, Leia looked back at him. Anger simmered just under the surface of his face. It looked like just one small spark would set him off and for the life of her she couldn’t parse out why. “Is that what you think, Leia?” he asked again, his voice rough as his accent thickened.

“I… I don’t know. Maybe.” Maybe, she thought. Maybe she was just a convenient pair of arms to fall into when he felt the need. The thought turned her stomach. Could she have been that wrong about him? He’d lied to her about the Charlatan and his true plans, why not this as well? In the back of her mind she heard Zia’s voice, her mocking almost pitying tone when she had told her that she had no idea what kind of man Reyes was. Well, the woman hadn’t been exactly wrong. Leia hated how naive she’d been.

“You think I’m still lying to you. Lying to you about us.” His voice was flat, almost emotionless except for the thread of anger weaving it, his hands tightening on her arms. “I meant it when I told you that you’re important to me. More than you should be, more than I thought anyone would be. I sat by your side after we escaped the vault on Kadara when you were covered in acid burns. You pushed me out of the way so that I wouldn’t get hurt only for you to get hurt yourself. You boarded the fucking Archon’s ship and let SAM  _ kill _ you and I was unable to do anything. But I get through it, past it because I know that you’re mine and that you’ll come back to me.”

He yanked her forward then, a hand moving up to grip her hair to hold her head in place as he kissed her. His teeth bit her lower lip until she opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to thrust in. He pushed her up against a wall, pinning her body between him and the wall as his mouth moved over her, leaving bruises in its wake. It was all she could do to just hold on.

“Do you want this? Do you want me?” he demanded, hands running over her body, stripping her of her jacket and scarf before palming her breast, squeezing it roughly as his other hand pulled at the buttons to her pants and yanked them down over her hips. His hand ran over her ass as he pressed against her harder.

“Tell me, Leia, do you want this? Want me?”

Her mind was clouded with desire, so fogged up with a violent need that she barely recognized her voice when she let out a strangled yes.

“Good.”

Leia barely had time to toe off her boot and pull her leg out of her pants before Reyes grabbed her thigh and it around his hip as he pressed into her. She could feel him hard against her core, pulsing with heat and desire. When she went to unbutton his shirt, Reyes snatched up her hands, pressing them against the wall above her head. He had her pinned and she found that she kind of liked it.

“Mine.”

His hands slid roughly down her arms, ripping her shirt as he pulled it over her head, taking her bra with it. Leia arched into him as he bent down and took her nipple into his mouth, his teeth scraping against the delicate skin. A strangled cry emitted from her throat when his hand pushed inbetween her legs, his fingers dipping into her wet folds and rubbing hard and fast circles around her clit. Without his hands to hold her arms, she let them drop to his shoulders and wrapped them around his neck in a desperate attempt to hold on. 

She was almost ready to peak when he withdrew his hand and she couldn’t help the whimper she let out. Reyes pulled back, his pupils blown wide. He took a small step back and stripped her underwear from her, completely destroying them in the process before kneeling down to free her completely of her remaining boot and pants. Before she could so much as take a breath he was back, pressing her harder against the wall, pressing harder against her core. She felt his cock now, hard and throbbing and just brushing against her wet folds. His hands gripped her waist as he lifted her up enough so that he could wrap her legs around him again.

She waited, breath held, for his cock to enter her, eager to feel him fill her fully. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as he rocked against her, his cock sliding through her lower lips, coated in her juices. Reyes tugged on her hair, forcing her to look at him.

“Mine,” he growled again before he finally entered her, setting a brutal pace, one that she could barely keep up with. His hands grabbed her ass, most likely leaving bruises with how tightly he held her. His thrusts grew stronger, pushing deeper into her and brushing against that most sensitive spot within her. Leia fell apart then, screaming his name as she came. Reyes came with a roar of his own, his hot seed pumping into her womb as her walls spasmed around his cock. 

Leia hung there on him, trusting him to hold both of them up as she had neither the will nor the energy to move. She felt a trickle of his cum seep out and dribble down her leg but at that moment she couldn’t be bothered to care. Her head rested on his shoulder as their breaths slowly returned to normal.

She felt Reyes tug lightly on her hair, gentler this time but no less insistent. Slowly she raised her head, meeting his gaze.

“Mine,” he whispered before kissing her gently, his lips moving over her swollen lips with care. Leia sighed into him, tightening her arms and legs around him. It was only then that she realized that he was still mostly clothed. His pants were low on his hips, open just enough so that he had been able to get his cock out. Well, she’d have to remedy that. When she was able to move again that is.

Reyes shifted her in his arms, hitching her up a bit as he slid out of her. With one hand he pressed the wallplate to the door and carried her into the bedroom. He laid her on the bed carefully, as if she were made of spun glass. Leia lay limply on the bed with her eyes closed, unable, and if she was honest, unwilling to move. She heard him leave her side and the running of water. The bed dipped slightly as he sat on it, swiping a cloth over and between her legs. Her mind felt hazy as his hands smoothed over her skin, rubbing some kind of lotion into it that loosened her sore muscles. A small whimper escaped past her lips as he touched a particularly sore spot. Reyes leant down and placed a soft kiss on it.

There was a rustle of clothing and the mattress shifted underneath her as Reyes climbed into the bed and pulled her back against him. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close. Leia snuggled back against him. They lay there quietly for what seem like hours. Sweat cooling on her body causing her to shiver; Reyes reached down and pulled the sheet up over them and tightened his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder.

“You know,” she said after a while. “I’m not really fond of possessiveness. It can all too easily fall to obsession and control and ugliness.”

“I would never attempt to control you, Leia. I would never disrespect you like that.”

“You called me ‘mine’ a lot just recently. That sounded pretty possessive to me.”

“Well, I do possess your heart, do I not? Just like you possess mine.”

“Wait. What? I never said that.” Leia sat up, disentangling herself from his arms and pulling the sheet up around her. Reyes flopped onto his back, staring up at her with lazy eyes as he tucked his hands behind his head.

“You didn’t have to. I can feel it.”

“You can feel it,” she said slowly. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re full of shit?”

“Several, but in this particular instance I am not. Admit it, you love me.”

“I’ll do no such thing.”

“I love it when you get all indignant. Reminds me of your namesake. Makes it hard to resist you.”

Leia narrowed her eyes at him. “You are no Han Solo, Reyes.”

“I’m not a charming, roguishly handsome smuggler and excellent pilot?”

“You are all those things but you lack a certain dopey factor and are much more arrogant and ruthless.”

“I can be dopey if that’s what you want,” he said, sliding his palm up her bare thigh. Leia swapped it away before he got any ideas.

“I sincerely doubt that.”

Reyes sat up, his eyes sparkling with humor. “How did Darth Vader know what Luke got him for Christmas?”

“What?”

“He could feel his presents.”

“I don’t… oh no, just no.”

“Why did Anakin Skywalker cross the road?”

“Oh God, stop.”

“To get to the Dark Side.”

“How do you know these?”

“What do you call a Mexican Jedi?”

“I will shoot you if you don’t stop.”

“Obi-Jaun Kenobi.”

“I hate you.”

“What did Obi-Wan say to Darth Vader?”

“Seriously, I will murder you. No one will convict me.”

“Nice suit. It must have cost you an arm and a leg.”

Leia let out a strangled yell and tackled him, pinning him to the bed with her hips, her hands on either side of his head. 

“You know I hate puns. The fact that you mixed in Star Wars just makes it worse.”

“How else was I to prove how cheesy I can be?” he asked, smirking up at her. He slid his hands up her bare thighs, fingers caressing every inch. Leia grabbed both of them and pressed them up above his head. 

“No puns.”

“You are quite beautiful when you’re riled,  _ mi querida _ . I find myself liking it.”

“I’m dead serious, Reyes. I really-.” Leia paused, her eyes narrowing as she felt him grow hard underneath her. “Seriously?”

Reyes shrugged as much as he could with his arms pinned above his head. “What can I say. Your ire inspires me to new, ah, heights.”

Leia groaned and dropped her head down. The man was going to be the death of her. Reyes shifted under her, his erection nudging against her bottom. To her annoyance she could feel herself becoming wet. She felt his turn his head, nipping at her ear as a shiver ran through her.

“My deepest apologies,  _ mi querida _ , for the puns. Allow me to make it up to you.”

“You making it up to me would seem to be just as beneficial to you.”

“Well, I suppose you have a point, but isn’t it the shared experience that makes it all so much better?” he asked, pitching his voice lower as he shifted under her again. Dammit, the man knew she was aroused.

Leia leaned harder on his arms. “Stop that.”

Reyes gave her a look of feigned innocence that lasted all of five seconds before he gave her that wink. The wink that had started everything.

“So. Are you going to admit it?”

“Admit what, you arrogant ass?”

“That you love me. I do.”

“What, love yourself? That doesn’t surprise me.”

“You know what I mean.”

“You know what I think?”

“And what is that,  _ mi querida? _ ”

“I think that you’ve spent way too much time on top. I think that it’s my turn.”

Leia shifted slightly so that she held both of his hands with one of hers. Perhaps it was slightly unfair to use the enhanced strength she gained from being melded with a souped-up AI, but she didn’t trust Reyes to keep his hands to himself and there were any restraints nearby. That she knew of anyway. She was sure there was at least one pair here somewhere.

“Hmmm.” Leia leaned over, reaching for the bedside table. She rummaged around, looking for what she wanted mostly by feel as she wasn’t about to release Reyes.

“Looking for something?”

Her finger touched a familiar feeling object. Smirking, she grabbed it and moved quickly, snapping the handcuffs around his wrists before he could so much as blink. Pleased with herself, she sat back and enjoyed the brief look of bewilderment on his face that was soon replaced with a smile. He watched her with lazy eyes as she placed her hands on her hips, smiling triumphantly.

“Do you really think these will hold me,  _ mi querida _ ? They are my cuffs after all.”

“I think that in a few minutes you’re going to be too occupied to even think about getting out of them much less trying to.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, yes. Yes it is.”

She leaned forward, placing a hand on either side of his head and hovered just out of reach from his lips. Her hair fell forward, the tips tickling his cheeks. He raised his head to try to kiss her but she pulled back, leaving a trail of hot breath on his skin.

“My turn,” she whispered as she skimmed down his jawline, her lips just touching his skin until she reach his ear. She sucked on his earlobe before tugging it lightly with her teeth. He shifted under her, his erection brushing against her ass. Leia moved down his neck, scraping her teeth across his collarbone. She smiled against his skin when he groaned. Her evil plan was working.

Sitting up, she placed both hands on his chest, fingers stroking down the center from his neck to just below his sternum. Her smile grew as he strained against the cuffs when she circled her fingers over his nipples. 

“I didn’t realize you were this sensitive. That’s… interesting,” she said, leaning forward to draw a circle around his nipple with her tongue. She was echoing his words from the first time they had made love and couldn’t help but appreciate the parallels. 

Leia slithered down his body, feeling his erection slide against her wet folds before popping up and pressing against her stomach. She savored in the delicious feel of that hard cock against her skin before sliding her hand down his stomach to wrap her finger around it, exploring it just by touch as she gazed into his eyes. He groaned again when she began to move her hand, fingers tracing the veins, her thumb brushing over the tip. Every time they had made love he’d been the one in charge, making the calls, it was thrilling and more than a little exciting to have turned the tables on him.

“Leia,” he said, his voice strained. She watched, fascinated, as he swallowed heavily, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

“Yes, Reyes?” she asked, an innocent look on her face. She pumped his cock again and watched his head fall back against the pillows. “Problem?”

“You’re killing me.”

“Oh, I’ve just begun,” she said, kissing him softly before running her tongue over his lips. With that she moved slowly down his body, using her tongue, mouth, and teeth to elicit the most unholy of moans from him. And with each moan she grew bolder, finding new places that made him squirm underneath her.

When she reached his cock, she breathed over it, licking the tip where drops of pre-cum were pooling. This wasn’t normally her favorite thing to do, she tended to find the taste of semen too salty, sometimes acidic, it was different each time, but with Reyes she found that she wanted to. She took him partially into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the tip. He thrust upward at her movements, groaning and swearing in Spanish. After one particularly creative one she had to pull back as a giggle erupted from her.

Reyes lifted his head, the look on his face making her laugh even more. 

“I fail to see what’s so funny,” he growled.

“You just said something about me causing your balls to turn inside out and that you were, ah, losing your head, or mind. My translator didn’t quite catch the last bit.” She climbed back up his body, settling herself on top of him. She was still smiling when she kissed him deeply.

“You are a cruel woman, Leia Ryder.”

“Does that mean you concede?” she asked, running her hands up and down his arms before nipping the skin just under his jaw.

“Concede? What?”

“Oh, Reyes, you disappoint me,” she said as she sat up, letting her hands rest on his sweat-soaked skin. She raised up on her knees slightly, reaching between them as she guided him into her, slowly sinking onto him until he was fully sheathed. This time they both groaned. Leia let her head fall back as she simply enjoyed the feel of him inside her.

“Leia, do you think that you could release my arms? I want to touch you.”

Leia brought her head up, smirking down at him. “Do you think you can behave yourself? I meant it when I said you’ve gotten to used to being on top.”

“I swear on my mother’s life.”

“Do you now?” she smiled, moving her hips back and forth slowly, her body shuddering with the movement. “I suppose I could let you go. You did promise to never lie to me about the big stuff.” 

She leaned forward and pressed a few buttons on the restraints and let them fall onto the bed. Reyes groaned as he was finally able to lower his arms, sliding his hands down her body to rest on her hips. “I am yours to command. General.”

Leia couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her as she started to move. Reyes watched her through half-open eyes, his hands unconsciously squeezing her hips with each thrust. She let her head drop back, bringing her hands to her breasts and pinching her nipples. One of Reyes’s hands moved down, his fingers finding the spot where they joined, teasing the bundles of nerves lying there. Leia cried out and increased her pace, pushing them both higher and faster until stars burst behind her closed lids. 

She collapsed on top of him, her sweat and breath mingling with his. Her head rested in the crook of his neck. His arms came around her, holding her close as he pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder.

“Well, maybe I should let you be on top more often.”

Leia suppressed a giggle before nipping at his ear. She pushed up enough so that she could look into his eyes. His hair was pleasantly mussed and she smiled at the satisfied expression on his face. Pushing an errant lock of hair off his forehead, she smiled again before she spoke.

“Maybe January light will consume My heart with its cruel, Ray, stealing my key to true calm.”

Reyes opened his eyes, his brow furrowing at her words. “What?”

“In this part of the story I am the one who Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you, Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood.”

Confusion melted from his face, his hand sliding up her arm to cup her face. “I didn’t realize you enjoyed old Earth poetry,  _ mi querida _ . Does that mean what I think it means?”

Leia leaned down and kissed him again. Pulling back, leaving less than an inch between their lips. “What do you think?”

“I think it means you love me. Just like I said.”

“I think you’re right about that.”

**Author's Note:**

> The poem Leia quotes is called _I do not love you except because I love you_ by Pablo Neruda. Considering the nature of Ryder and Reyes' relationship, I think it fits them perfectly.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.


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